


Youth

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Lab rat, Yikes, ash hasn't aged in 13 years, giovanni is gettin' old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 02:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7826206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giovanni realizes that he is growing old, but there is one child that has not aged from ten years old in 13 years. Could this boy have the secret to eternal youth?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Pokemon (c) Nintendo

“No...”

Shaking fingers gripped a strand of gray hair, holding it up to the light.

“I can't be growing old already.”

The man moved to the mirror and looked at it, touching the wrinkles on his face. “I'm starting to look like one of those old professors, doomed to be stuck in a lab and sending children to find Pokemon for me.” He cringed and looked at a frame on his dresser. “I still have so much to do...I can't be growing this old yet. I have so many dreams!” He pulled away from the mirror and grabbed his jacket, heading out of his room.

“There's so much I have to do, too many plans I haven't done. I have to recapture Mewtwo, I have to capture Mew, I have to rule the world.” He paused by a door and opened it, walking out to where two figures in black and white were kneeling. “And why are you back without that Pikachu, again?!”

“W-We tried, boss!” One of them stammered.

“But, we got outsmarted again!” The other added.

“It's that darn kid! He keeps managing to beat us!” A Meowth that knelt between them spoke up. “He's too smart for us!”

The man groaned and turned away from them. Jessie and James were constantly screwing up their mission, a simple mission to capture a Pikachu that was unable to be put in a Pokeball. He was starting to reach his wits' end with their blunders.

“He's only a CHILD, how can you possibly be having so much trouble with--wait. How long, exactly, have I had you on this mission?” The man turned to them.

“Uh, about...13 years? Give or take?” Meowth shrugged.

“Much too long, we know, we'll get it right next time for sure--”

“Bring me the boy.” The man said, cutting Jessie off.

“What?” Jessie and James said in unison.

“I said to bring me the _boy_. I no longer care about his Pokemon. Bring. Me. The boy.” He turned to leave the room. “And this time, do NOT screw up. It's success or punishment this time.” He walked out, closing the door behind him.

He would have to ensure that they succeeded by sending along others, just in case. The boy was constantly surrounded by companions, bodyguards, and strong Pokemon. It would be no easy feat getting him, but if it had been 13 years then that child SHOULD be 23 by now. But he wasn't. According to the footage of their many mistakes, Ash Ketchum was still only 10 years old.

“I might have found the solution to my problem.” He murmured, entering his office.

 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission is on, Team Rocket sets out to capture Ash Ketchum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pokemon (c) Nintendo

“What is the boss drinkin' lately?” Meowth said as they gathered around a campfire. They were about fifty feet from where Ash and his company were camped and were deciding how to go about kidnapping the child. “Why would he suddenly decide to start capturin' human kids?”

“Kidnapping isn't really our thing. I mean, sure we've abducted a professor or two, but children?” James frowned, staring into the fire.

“Whatever the reason, he seemed pretty adamant about it. I mean, he even sent those guys with us.” She nodded towards the red and black-clothed Team Rocket members that were sitting in the shadows of their camp. “Those are the ones they usually send after professors and stuff.”

“Ya get the feelin' we might just be decoys?” Meowth murmured.

“Well, I doubt we could pull off a kidnapping by ourselves.” James pursed his lips. “This doesn't sit right with me. It's not like he has a rich parent. Why kidnap him?”

“He asked about how long we'd been chasing him before he decided that.” Jessie pointed out. “13 years...and it's like he hasn't aged a day. It's weird.”

“Ya think that's why the boss wants him?” Meowth asked.

“It's possible.” Jessie shrugged. “Anyways, how are we going to do this?”

“First of all, we wait until they're all asleep.” One of the others approached the trio. “Then we toss in a sleeping gas just to make sure they stay that way. It'll also knock out anyone keeping watch.” She held up a bomb. “This is filled with sleeping powder from a dozen Butterfrees. They'll be out for hours.”

“Won't it affect us?” Jessie asked.

“Not if we're above the affected area. We did bring the balloon.” The woman jabbed her finger towards it. “Once they're out and the powder has dissipated, we'll drop down and nab the kid, then leave. If you want to grab the Pikachu as well, then you can do that, but I'm focusing on the kid.”

“Cynthia, maybe the powder is a bit much. Why don't you let us try, and then you can try your idea if it fails?” James suggested.

“Why?” Cynthia asked.

“Well, if they're out for hours, they could get killed by a wild Pokemon.” James shook his head. “We're not murderers.”

“Maybe _you_ aren't.” One of the other guys commented, the others chuckling with him.

“Okay, James. We'll try your plan. Whatever it is.” Cynthia flounced back to the others with her bomb.

James sighed and looked towards the smoke from the other campfire. Stealing Pokemon was one thing, but kidnapping wasn't something he ever planned to do.

The night wore on, with the trio discussing plan after plan, waiting for their target to go to sleep. Every fifteen minutes, Meowth would go check on them and then come back to report they were still awake. Finally, just when Jessie and James were starting to feel their eyelids grow heavy, Meowth came back and gave the thumbs-up. It was time.

So, with their consciences weighing heavy with guilt, they slipped through the brush and came upon the camp. The entire camp looked to be asleep this time, so they didn't have to worry about anyone keeping guard. But, they knew from experience that a snapped twig would wake up Pikachu and set him off and then it would be Team Rocket blasting off again. 

They crept around the camp carefully, watching their steps, as they moved closer to the blue sleeping bag that held their target. The plan was to just pick it up and escape, but now that they saw it that plan looked a bit difficult. For one thing, Pikachu was sleeping on top of it. If they so much as touched it, then the electric mouse Pokemon would wake up and zap them.

“New plan.” James whispered, gesturing to the half-empty water bottle. They moved back into the brush and James continued what he was saying. “It looks like Ash drank quite a bit before bed. Let's just wait until he gets up from the camp to relieve himself and nab him once he's done.”

“What if Pikachu is with him?” Jessie whispered.

“...Got any Poke-treats?” Meowth suggested.

“I don't think we can do this alone.” Jessie sighed. “Let's borrow their bomb. If we throw it at just him and Pikachu, then it won't affect the others.”

“Good idea.” James nodded. “Let's go back to the others.”

They headed back to their camp and Jessie walked up to Cynthia. “So, we have a plan that merges both our ideas. Want to hear it?”

“Sure.” Cynthia stood up.

“We're going to wait for him to get up to relieve himself and kidnap him after he's done. If we use the bomb on just him and Pikachu, the other humans won't be harmed.” Jessie explained.

“And we can nab both him and his rat. Good idea.” Cynthia nodded.

“Mouse. It's an electric mouse Pokemon.” James corrected.

“Whatever, Pokedex.” Cynthia waved her hand dismissively.

“You don't usually capture Pokemon, do you?” Jessie asked.

“No, I'm usually on the missions to steal items and kidnap professors. Not Pokemon.” Cynthia sighed. “Which is why I wanted you to leave this to me, but the boss wants you to do this, probably for some kind of redemption after all the screw-ups.”

James looked at Meowth. “Can you keep on eye on Ash?”

“Yeah.” Meowth headed off.

“The Boss gave this job to us.” Jessie said firmly. “You are the backup, not us.”

“Well, just don't screw up, then.” She handed Jessie the bomb. “It goes off five seconds after you light it. Light it, throw it, then move back and duck low.”

Jessie nodded, tucking the bomb away in her skirt pocket.

It was back to the waiting game. Meowth came back and picked up one of the radios stashed on the balloon, handing another to James. “This is quicker.” He told them as he went back to their camp.

James sat down and stared into the fire again, feeling guilt creeping in on him. Over the past 13 years, they'd grown a bit of a “frenemies” relationship with the boy. To kidnap him and hand him off to the boss to do who-knows-what to him...it felt like he was betraying him.

The radio squawked and then Meowth spoke quietly into it. “The kid's up, he's movin' away from the camp. I'm followin' him, you guys better head over here.”

Jessie picked up the radio. “Is Pikachu with him?” She asked.

“Nah, he managed to get out of his sleeping bag without wakin' him. Wish I knew his secret.” Meowth replied.

“Okay, so it's just him. That'll make things easier.” James looked at the bomb. “We may not even need this.”

“We will, to capture him. If he screams, his friends will come running. And he _will_ scream; no one ever comes quietly.” Cynthia assured him.

“Okay, so let's do this before we miss the chance.” A couple guys of the guys headed for the balloon while the others went with Jessie and James to where Meowth was.

“What took so long?” Meowth whispered as they joined him. “He's about to head back.”

“Then let's move.” Cynthia looked at Jessie and nodded.

“Okay.” Jessie pulled out a lighter and lit the bomb before tossing it towards the treeline Ash was walking back through. The bomb went off and he let out a surprised yelp before falling to the forest floor.

“I bet that was heard. Quickly, grab him.” Cynthia ran out and grabbed Ash, just as they heard Pikachu and the others' alarmed voices heading their way. The rope ladder was lowered and the Team Rocket members passed Ash up from member to member until he was in the balloon. Then they quickly scrambled up into the balloon and took off, just as Ash's companions burst into the area.

“Team Rocket?!” One of them cried.

“Where's Ash?” The other asked, looking around frantically.  
  
“Pikapi?!” Pikachu cried out as he ran around where Ash's scent last was.

James sank down out of sight in the balloon, looking at the unconscious child laying on the floor of the balloon.

“A job well done, boys.” Cynthia grinned. “Drinks are on me tonight.”

Jessie looked over at the group scouring the area for their friend and then shared a look with James and Meowth that said ”What have we done?”.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun-Dun-DUUUUUUUUN!

**Author's Note:**

> Getting old stinks, especially when you have so many conquest plans you've yet to achieve.


End file.
